Beaumont Gas Line Breach Prompts Street Closure, Evacuations

BEAUMONT, CA — A construction crew working Friday in a Beaumont neighborhood struck a natural gas main, causing a leak that prompted fire crews to temporarily evacuate nearby homes and close a street.

The rupture was reported at 2:20 p.m. in the 38000 block of Orchard Street, near Nancy Avenue, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

Officials said the workers were digging when they punctured the line.

Firefighters cordoned off space between Nancy and Mountain View Avenue for public safety, leading to the evacuation of five homes and a one-block closure of Orchard, according to the fire department.

Southern California Gas Co. technicians were summoned to make repairs to the line.

Fire officials said that at 4:30 p.m. "SoCalGas ... mitigated the leak and restored utilities in the area." All evacuations and road closures were soon thereafter.

— City News Service contributed to this report